So I’ve been meaning to make this post since forever. I started writing a blog post around Halloween about local Nottingham witch history, but I wasn’t able to find enough detailed information about the city to warrant a blog post for that. There was a witch scare in greater Nottinghamshire because of one particular location, and that sent me down a rabbit hole. I started writing about witchy places in the UK in general, but that post also kind of fell through the wayside. Now that I’m stuck in my flat, unable to travel anywhere [thanks, Quarantine], I thought I’d revisit my blog draft section and see what there is to work with. Long story short, I’m fantasizing about travel again, and here are the 4 destinations in Great Britain with witchy history that I want to visit!

Creswell Crags // Nottinghamshire

The place that inspired this list, Creswell Crags, is a collection of limestone caves absolutely covered in protective markings carved into the stone. These marks include double VV engravings in reference to the Virgin Mary, as well as diagonal lines, boxes, and mazes, which were devices to capture and trap evil. Common consensus is that these “Witch Marks” were carved throughout the cave system to keep whatever dwelled within the caves captive, protecting those who lived in the surrounding area from demons and witches. With such a complex cave system, it’s speculated that people believed these caves reached straight to hell. Photos make it seem like something straight out of The Blair Witch Project or The Ritual. I would love to see this historically witchy site for myself, and spend the whole day exploring the numerous cave systems at Crasswell Crags. You can read more about the Witch Marks here.

Museum of Witchcraft and Magic // Cornwall

Anyone who knows me knows I love a good museum. The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic is located in Boscastle, Cornwall, a village surrounded by coastline preserved by the National Trust. The independently owned museum is one of the most popular tourist destinations, and I’m not surprised as to why. It’s jam-packed with art and artifacts depicting the mythology and historical realities of witchcraft, which is such a fascinating subject. I went to a combination art/history exhibition about witchcraft in October, and it opened my eyes to how integrally witch history is tied to the history of women: women’s magic seen as “a weapon aimed against the state and church”, and medicine is seen as strange and deviant when performed by women, but something to be praised and commodified when performed by men. I would love to explore the museum and continue to learn more about this fascinating history.

Pendle Woods // Lancashire

If you know much about the history of witchcraft, you’ve probably heard of the Pendle Witch Trials, in which 10 people were hung for killing people via magic in 1612. Pendle Hill is an iconic location for witch and folklore buffs, but I’m more interested in visiting the nearby Pendle Woods, Better known as Aitken Wood. A walking trail exists, and an art installation has been placed throughout the woods, inspired by and memorializing the Pendle Witch Trials.

Edinburgh // Scotland

Scotland is notorious for its history of witchcraft, as it was the country with the highest number of witch trials in Europe. Edinburgh in particular has so many places tied to witches, trials, and burnings that it’s hard to boil it down to just one spot within the city. This entry on my list is less tied to witch mythology and more associated with the horrific reality of persecution. Despite this, or maybe because of it, I would love to take one of the walking tours that explores the history of witches in the city.

My mum has talked about how witch trials resonate with her, particularly in Scotland where our family is from. My mum is a painter, and one of my favourite paintings of hers hangs in the living room of my parent’s house, a pheonix-like figure rising from the ashes; a piece inspired by witch trials and persecution of women. I would love to bring my mum to Edinburgh so we could learn more about and pay homage to the sites where the trials and persecutions took place.

There are many more places around the world that I would love to visit for their ties to witchcraft, particularly museums of the occult. I kept this list limited to England purely to keep it in scale. Witchcraft and the occult have history around the world!

Hopefully travel is more available soon, as I’d love to get started on visiting some of these witchy places!